Latin@ State of the Union Address

Saludos,

I assumed the position of President last spring, but have been with Alianza since September 2005. I ran on a platform of creating a familial atmosphere for everyone and uniting la communidad. Like Spiderman, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” Since I got off the plane at the O’Hare Airport, I have had to double-dutch back into the thick of things – it has been a beyond busy two weeks. But I love it.

I want to remind everyone that my Executive Board, Christian Yañez and I are here to serve you. Like I’ve been telling several listening ears – and trust me, the podium is set and the microphone is on – I want to hear your concerns, constructive criticisms and praise. Let this be the year that we unite not only our Latin@ community, but the entire multicultural community and the greater Northwestern University campus. With a 5-0 current standing in football, why aren’t we uniting and rejoicing life, hand-in-hand? If I, personally, cannot reap the benefits of our altruism, then the future incoming classes will.

Moreover, I understand that I’m a character for some. One of my personal projects is maintaining proper swagger and decorum. I, too, am a work in progress. We all have erasers on our pencils and we all make mistakes, it’s how we recover from them and ameliorate the situation is what counts. My actions will speak louder than my words, as you soon will find out.

Alianza has a new administration, and with this positive change, we are eager to work for you. Our fall quarter will showcase our wonderful culture[s] during Hispanic Heritage Celebration (spanning the entire quarter). The next two quarters, we will be strengthening our multicultural community and, thus, the Northwestern campus. We have many co-sponsorships in the works with various student groups: greek organizations, A&O, Organización Latina de Evanston, Hillel, professional groups, PASA, NU Engagement Coalition, Kaibigan, Rainbow Alliance, journalism publications, the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, political organizations, Asian/Asian American Student Affairs, LANU, religious bodies, FMO, College Feminists, volunteer coalitions, all of the Latina/o undergraduate student groups and many more.

As a reminder, we welcome everyone, Latin@ and non-Latin@ alike, with open arms. This 2008-2009 academic school year, we – Latin@s, hispanos, latin people, mi gente, humanity – have arrived. Indeed, we have. Pa’ delante, siempre.